Questions tagged [compilers]

Historical compilers, or modern compilers targeting retro platforms.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
109 votes
10 answers
43k views

Why do C to Z80 compilers produce poor code?

When reading some other questions about compiling C for the Z80, How much benefit should be expected on a more advanced compiler for z80/r800 based computers? Native C compiler for Sinclair ZX ...
Omar and Lorraine's user avatar
66 votes
10 answers
16k views

How was C ported to architectures that had no hardware stack?

Thinking about machines such as the PDP-7, PDP-10, CDC-160 and so on1, these are machines which do not have a stack pointer which can quickly and easily change to point to a new stack frame, like the ...
Omar and Lorraine's user avatar
60 votes
7 answers
16k views

Did any compiler fully use Intel x87 80-bit floating point?

There is a paradox about floating point that I'm trying to understand. Floating point is an eternal struggle with the problem that real numbers happen to be both essential and incomputable. It's the ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 60.8k
56 votes
2 answers
25k views

Why were the /\ (min) and the \/ (max) operators abandoned in the C language?

In the UNIX V7 version of the C language (but not yet in the V6 version), there were the /\ (min) and the \/ (max) operators. In the source of the scanner part of the compiler, case BSLASH: if (...
Leo B.'s user avatar
  • 19.1k
55 votes
13 answers
10k views

What languages are better fit for generating efficient code for 8-bit CPU's than C?

I found Why do C to Z80 compilers produce poor code? very interesting as it pointed out that C (which was leveraged to be an abstraction of a CPU for porting Unix) was not a very easy language to ...
Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen's user avatar
39 votes
5 answers
7k views

Is it possible to make a ROM converter?

Based on my understanding, an emulator is necessary because the machine with the emulator on it (say Windows), doesn't execute the same machine code as the target platform (6502, for example). So what ...
Badasahog's user avatar
  • 4,031
38 votes
6 answers
7k views

Why couldn't early C compilers handle variable declarations between statements?

In modern C, you may place variable declarations between statements: do_something(); int x; x = something_else(); However, older C compilers required that variables are declared before all statements:...
DrSheldon's user avatar
  • 16k
37 votes
9 answers
9k views

When and why did high-level language compilers start targeting assembly language rather than machine code?

From what I've read, the first FORTRAN compiler built a machine-code program entirely in memory; it was, in fact, designed to read the entire source code of the program, and then sequentially load ...
supercat's user avatar
  • 35.9k
34 votes
15 answers
11k views

When did compilers start generating optimized code that runs faster than an average programmer's assembly code?

It is highly unrecommended to write your own code in assembly now since, in most cases, gcc -O3 does magic. But in the ‘80s it was believed that compiled C code takes 4(?) times or more than a well-...
Schezuk's user avatar
  • 3,762
32 votes
2 answers
8k views

Which tools were used to create the C language?

Was the original C compiler written in some old assembly language and now later flex and bison are used instead?
Niklas Rosencrantz's user avatar
31 votes
11 answers
12k views

Has there ever been a C compiler where using ++i was faster than i++?

Please take a look at this post: Is there a performance difference between i++ and ++i in C? There are two essential statements in the answer: Modern compiler produce the same machine code no matter ...
zomega's user avatar
  • 5,352
29 votes
3 answers
5k views

Most modern C compilers targeting DOS 8086, running on DOS 8086 (16-bit)

I'm looking for the most recent versions of modern C compilers which were/are targeting DOS 8086, also running on DOS 8086 (16-bit). I'm mostly interested in production-ready C compilers, rather than ...
pts's user avatar
  • 1,515
28 votes
10 answers
16k views

How to get started writing C for the IBM PC in 1980-81

Suppose it's late 1980 to early 1981, you've got some software you want to write for the IBM PC which will be released later in 1981, want to get started ASAP, and believe C is the right language for ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 60.8k
24 votes
5 answers
3k views

How much benefit should be expected on a more advanced compiler for z80/r800 based computers?

I am self studying about compilers, and get hands on very good textbooks about the subject. I am thinking in develop a compiler using the almighty llvm infrastructure to cross compile to old computers,...
flavio's user avatar
  • 580
23 votes
8 answers
6k views

Why were nested functions excluded from B and C?

I'm learning C and was curious as to why the language does not allow nested functions. From what I've read, the lack of nested functions seems to have been a simplification that was inherited from its ...
user51462's user avatar
  • 331
23 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why were OS/360 PL/I procedure calls so expensive in terms of stack space?

In 1977, Guy Steele published a paper entitled Debunking the “expensive procedure call” myth or, procedure call implementations considered harmful or, LAMBDA: The Ultimate GOTO. The paper was the ...
Alexis King's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
3k views

Using Clang to compile MS-DOS executables

I have a simple C program, and I would like to compile it targeting MS-DOS. Can this be achieved with Clang? I would like to produce the following formats: COM executable 16-bit MZ executable 32-bit ...
tpimh's user avatar
  • 406
22 votes
10 answers
7k views

When if ever was the C language 'int' size altered from the host machine word (register) size into a literal 32 bit size?

From the earliest K&R reference manuals I read, 'int' was synonymous with machine word and it seemed to raise adverse reactions in various user domains. With the UNIX crowd, they minimally ...
MKhomo's user avatar
  • 447
22 votes
2 answers
1k views

Where and when did the ".s" suffix for assembly-language source files originate?

The closest I was able to find on StackOverflow is What are .S files?, in which no answerer addresses why we use .s for assembly. (And .S for preprocessor/macro assembly; and gcc -S to produce ...
Quuxplusone's user avatar
21 votes
5 answers
3k views

Early Forth for personal computers

What were the earliest Forth programming language implementations for 8-bit personal computers? Was it FIG Forth? Or a predecessor? Or some other development? Why did Forth lose its relative ...
hotpaw2's user avatar
  • 8,183
21 votes
4 answers
5k views

Would a C compiler for the Apollo Guidance Computer be plausible?

The Apollo Guidance Computer was used to control the command/service module and lunar module on the missions to the moon. (Definitely a retrocomputer!) As noted in this answer, programs were written ...
DrSheldon's user avatar
  • 16k
21 votes
3 answers
7k views

Native C compiler for Sinclair ZX Spectrum

I am looking for a native C compiler for the Spectrum 128. I would like one which: Has good support for the latest C standard at the time. Is not limited to compiling ridiculously short source code. ...
forest's user avatar
  • 2,009
21 votes
2 answers
679 views

What is the history of SysV i386 calling convention for struct return?

I would like to understand historical roots of the quirk in the SysV calling convention for the 32-bit x86, which was inherited by the ELF standard, and so remains used on Linux to this day. Consider ...
amonakov's user avatar
  • 313
20 votes
1 answer
2k views

How can I set up the Microsoft C compiler to make it prefer immediate-mode push instructions?

I started a project to get a better understanding on how to compile a game for Windows 3.x. I tried to set up the build workflow so that it produce the byte-exact clone of a great open sourced Win16 ...
SZIEBERTH Ádám's user avatar
19 votes
0 answers
1k views

Oxford C compiler for Commodore 64

I kept one floppy from my Commodore 128 (which I used mostly in C64 mode), labelled ‘Oxford C compiler’. It is a 5.25″ floppy. Don't ask me why I kept just this one; probably because I thought I ...
Michel Keijzers's user avatar
18 votes
9 answers
3k views

How were bugs reported for compilers that were shipped on floppy disks?

Take the Microsoft C 1.0 compiler for example. It shipped on multiple 5.25" 360K disks, and when it ran on machines without internal hard disk, so users had to switch floppies between the editor, ...
JAL's user avatar
  • 9,512
17 votes
4 answers
697 views

How can I run COMIT code?

I recently learned about the existence of COMIT, which was the first string processing language. It's very old (1957), but it was used a lot in the first 10 years it was around, mainly in academic ...
Laurel's user avatar
  • 1,720
17 votes
1 answer
2k views

ZSPL language, anyone heard of it?

While reading the Byte sieve article (Gilbreath 1981), I came across a language I have never heard of, ZSPL. I suspected this was actually a specific version of another language, perhaps PL/1. ...
Maury Markowitz's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
2k views

When did type punning through violating the strict aliasing rule become disallowed?

Looking at the C code from the Fast Inverse Square Root, the casting of a float to a long is done via pointer arithmetic: i = * ( long * ) &y; // evil floating point bit level hacking The ...
Adam Hyland's user avatar
14 votes
7 answers
3k views

Do any mainframe emulators exist with a functional FORTRAN compiler?

Similar to this question, but generalized to any mainframe computer from before the microprocessor era, does there exist an emulator and OS for a vintage mainframe computer that will run the output ...
hotpaw2's user avatar
  • 8,183
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

Did any compilers hash long symbol names when truncating them?

Many early compilers and interpreters had maximum length for variable and function names. Usually you could use longer names but everything beyond e.g. the first 8 characters was discarded. This ...
jpa's user avatar
  • 1,696
14 votes
1 answer
875 views

What sequence of instructions is the equivalent to `fcomip` on i486?

Do you perhaps happen to know, what would be the easiest way to modify my AEC-to-x86 compiler (you can run the core of it in browser: https://flatassembler.github.io/compiler ) to be able to target ...
FlatAssembler's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

GCC to make Amiga executables, including Fortran support?

I have been compiling some command line programs to run on the classic Commodore Amiga. I started with GCC on WinUAE which worked but I realised I didn't have the understanding of the memory stack and ...
Lee Volante's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
3k views

Were Windows 3.x applications dependent upon 80286 instructions?

While Windows 3.x operating system stuck to the 80286 platform, did applications compiled for Windows 3.x have to use 80286 instructions explicitly or be aware of the 80286 memory layout? Or was it ...
Schezuk's user avatar
  • 3,762
13 votes
6 answers
809 views

Are there any primary sources for the “passing constant by reference” behavior in old Fortran compilers?

Occasionally I have heard references to a peculiarity of certain (old) Fortran compilers, with regards to subprogram argument passing. Here is an example, from an answer to a Stack Overflow question: ...
texdr.aft's user avatar
  • 3,485
11 votes
7 answers
4k views

Did compilers ever give error messages without line numbers?

I'm having an argument with my friend, who told me that when she was learning programming in the 1980s, the compiler gave errors without line numbers. I'm pretty sure that compilers have always given ...
JoelFan's user avatar
  • 2,117
11 votes
4 answers
1k views

How was dataflow analysis performed before SSA?

If we look at something like LLVM or the GNU Compiler Collection, Dalvik and many others, their intermediate representation (IR) uses SSA (Static Single Assignment form), as part of their Data-Flow ...
Omar and Lorraine's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
3k views

What was the first Lisp implementation that could generate machine code?

LISP is considered by some to be primarily an interpreted language, but compilers have been made for it. What was the first compiler? To be clear, this is about compilers that compile LISP code stored ...
cjs's user avatar
  • 25.4k
11 votes
1 answer
627 views

How much time and how many people were required to develop Delphi version 1?

I would guess the compiler was primarily a modification of Borland's Turbo Pascal, while the Integrated Development Environment and Visual Component Library required a lot more development from ...
joe's user avatar
  • 111
10 votes
1 answer
436 views

What sort of intermediate representation did the first Fortran compiler use?

Proebsting's Law asserts that improvements to compiler technology double the performance of typical programs every 18 years, but even granted that this is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it's not really ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 60.8k
9 votes
1 answer
677 views

What was the first compiler/interpreter/assembler to indicate problematic columns in diagnostic messages?

These days, most compilers and interpreters seem to provide the following in diagnostics: A description of the problem The name of the source file A line number A relevant position within the line ...
texdr.aft's user avatar
  • 3,485
9 votes
1 answer
493 views

What were the typical game development toolchains for the pre-i386 IBM PC era

On i386 and beyond (assuming MS-DOS as the target OS and IBM PC as the target platform), my impression is game developers most typically used Watcom C / DJGPP plus one of the DOS extenders (DOS4GW, ...
DmytroL's user avatar
  • 2,162
7 votes
1 answer
367 views

When was a compiler first used to generate code to be placed in ROM?

In the early days of compilers, it was expected that programs would generally be stored in an inexpensive medium (such as punched cards or magnetic tape) when not in use. Although it was possible to ...
supercat's user avatar
  • 35.9k
7 votes
1 answer
652 views

BCC LD86 file has bad magic number

I wanted to write a simple hello world program in DOSBox, so I downloaded Bruce's C Compiler from here. And wrote this program (using edit.exe): #include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("...
MarinB's user avatar
  • 73
7 votes
1 answer
488 views

P′′ Language Interpreter/Compiler Resources

According to Wikipedia, P′′ is a "primitive computer programming language created by Corrado Böhm in 1964 to describe a family of Turing machines." P′′ contains only four instructions has influenced ...
JAL's user avatar
  • 9,512
7 votes
1 answer
630 views

What libraries do I need in order to compile for Windows 98?

I am attempting to compile John Burger's StdTel for Windows 98. I am using Pelles C, because it has Windows 98 support, but it appears that I don't have the necessary libraries. This is the compiler's ...
wizzwizz4's user avatar
  • 18.5k
7 votes
1 answer
500 views

Was dynamic type check in Pascal commonplace?

The BESM-6 Pascal compiler I'm experimenting with has a notable difference from Standard Pascal: formal arguments of formal parameters-procedures or functions are not specified, but are checked at ...
Leo B.'s user avatar
  • 19.1k
7 votes
1 answer
308 views

Is there really any implementation of a Ada compiler/cross-compiler/interpreter for 6502?

I found some Ada compilers for CP/M machines but no luck for 6502-based C64/Apple II/BBC Micro. I'm not sure if Abacus Ada on C64 exists or how much a subset it implements for Ada. There is, though, ...
Schezuk's user avatar
  • 3,762
7 votes
0 answers
514 views

Looking for the name of a natural language Fortran compiler

Back in the 80s I ran across a book at a garage sale titled something like "Programming Fortran In English" or "Programming Fortran In Natural Language" that described a compiler ...
JockM's user avatar
  • 71
6 votes
5 answers
3k views

Were there cross-compiler online services for the public?

Compiling takes computing power, and to a lesser extent, storage and memory. Back in the 70s and 80s personal computers weren't powerful enough to compile codes in high-level languages or if capable ...
Schezuk's user avatar
  • 3,762